Ozzy Osbourne's "Black Rain" Details Revealed, Plus Ozzfest 2007 Ticket Promotion
Band Photo: Ozzy Osbourne (?)
Featuring Ozzy Osbourne's first new studio material in six years, his latest album entitled "Black Rain" is due out May 22 on Epic Records. OZZY co-produced the album with Kevin Churko and recorded it with his touring band: Zakk Wylde (guitar), Mike Bordin (drums) and Blasko (bass). OZZY says that he felt a new freedom while recording the album at his home studio in Los Angeles. The result: songs that are not only hard-hitting but adventurously arranged and sonically fresh. Explains OZZY, "It's a well-put together album. I think it's evident that it hasn't been just slapped out and put down. I took my time on the album and Zakk [Wylde] plays some amazing stuff as always." OZZY feels BLACK RAIN is the true follow-up to his classic No More Tears, the 1991 album that also challenged the expectations of what an OZZY OSBOURNE album should sound like.
Some of the songs on BLACK RAIN are ominous in their emotional tone--they examine a world teeming with greed, war, deception, bad drugs ("11 Silver," about crystal meth) and environmental havoc. OZZY also zooms in on the overriding sense of fear and dread that define our times--perpetrated, he feels, by news programs that make "entertainment" out of terrible news events.
Says OZZY: "I just thought there's so much fucking bad news, the only way I can release it is to put it in a song." On the other hand, the new track "Civilize The Universe" offers a sense of hope, as OZZY sings: "I'm alive/Watching better turn to worse/One more time/Try to civilize the universe."
OZZY will support BLACK RAIN with a world tour beginning in Moscow on May 27 which continues through July 6. Then starting July 12 in Seattle, he'll headline the 12th annual OZZFEST tour throughout America.
The pioneer and trendsetter has pulled the plug on ticket prices in America and given the power back to the fans, calling this summer's OZZFEST "FreeFest." That's right, this year's OZZFEST is entirely free for fans, an unprecedented move for an artist and tour of this stature.
On that note, look out for specially marked copies of "Black Rain" will be available at participating retailers on May 22. Fans will use the code found in the CD's packaging when they log onto ozzfest.com to redeem two tickets. This code will enable OZZY fans to go to livenation.com ozzfest and have the first chance at OZZFEST tickets beginning Friday, June 8, at 9:00 PM (ET) and prior to June 12 when tickets will be available to the general public--exactly one month before the first OZZFEST 2007 show in Seattle at the White River Amphitheatre.
OZZY is being honored in May on VH-1's "Rock Honors" telecast. He will perform three songs on the broadcast including a track from BLACK RAIN. Premiering on Thursday, May 24 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, "VH1 Rock Honors," will be taped at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 12.
You can log onto ozzy.com to hear samples of tracks from the album or check out the first single "I Don't Wanna Stop" on Ozzy's MySpace page.
What's Next?
10 Comments on "Ozzy's 'Black Rain' Details, Ozzfest Ticket Promo"
Post your comments and discuss the article below! (no login required)
To minimize comment spam/abuse, you cannot post comments on articles over a month old. Please check the sidebar to the right or the related band pages for recent related news articles.

Supporter
I know people are going to have a sh** fit about this but this is just to get tickets early.